Station-indicator.



Tzm'snim. 4, 1908.

No. 895,118.. PA

B. R. SKINNER.

STATION INDICATOR. AEELIGATIOK nun 9110.31, won. a suimksum L A TTORNEK PATENTED AUG. 4, 190a.

B. R. SKINNER'. STATION INDICATOR APPLICATION FILED DBO. 31, 1906.

a sums-sum 2 PVJTNESSES: 25 V INVENTOR:

PATENTED AUG. 4, iedT B. R, SKINNER. STATION INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 31, 190B.

3 sums-31mm a.

YINVENTOR:

ATTORNEY WITNESSES.-

BURR R. SKINNER, OF AUSTIN, MINNESOTA.

STATION-INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4 1908.

Application filed December a1, 1906. Serial No. 350,250.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Bunn R. SKINNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Mower and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Station-Indicators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates 'to apparatus for use in public conveyances such as street cars, interurban cars, steam cars and stage-coaches, for announcing to passengers or indicatin the names of the stations on the line of trave in succession when approaching the stations or streets where stops may be made, the invention having reference particularly to the mechanism whereby the desired results are obtained.

The objects of the invention are to provide an indicator or annunciator of the abovementioned character which shall be adapted to be constructed so as too crate with precision under all conditions of use and at reasonable expense for construction, and which will be durable and economical in use and not liable to derangement; a further object being to provide a station indicator adapted to be readily changed when shifting cars from one route to another and when about to return mentary front view of one rollers; Fig. 4, an end view upon any route.

With the above-mentioned and minor objects in view the invention comprises a sta tion indicator having a novel form of ribbon for displaying the names of the stations, a novel arrangement of rollers for supporting and shifting the ribbon, and novel mechanism for actuatin and controlling the movements of the rollers periodically. -And the invention consists further in the elements and the combinations and arrangements thereof as hereinafter particularly described and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of the body part. of a car showing the improved indicator in front elevation arranged therein; Fig. 2, a fragmentary front view of the controlling drum or roller for the name-ribbon; Fi 3, a fragof t io winding of the winding roller with part of its su )porting shaft omitted and a fragment of the ribbon connected thereto; Fig. 5, an end view of the part of the supporting shaft that is omitted from Fig. 4; Fig. 6, a transverse sectional view of the indicator approximately on the line A in Fig. 1; Fig. 7, an end elevation of the indicator and a. portion of the car body in section; Fig. 8, a top plan of the indicator with the top part of the casing thereof broken away and exposing the internal mechanism; Fig. 9, a fra mentary sectional view on the line B in Fig. 8; Fig. 10, a rear elevation of the indicator with the back 'of the casing omitted so as to expose the internal mechanism; Fig. 11, a fragmentary sectional view of the indicator on the line C C in Fig. 8 Fig. 12, a fragmentary see I tional view approximately on the line D in 3 Fig. 7; Fig. 13, a plan view showing parts of the motor for operating the name-ribbonf Fig. 14, a transverse sectional view approximately on the line E E in Fig. 8; Fig. 15, a

transverse sectional view approximatel on the line F F in Fig. 8; Fig. 16, an end e eva tion of the indicator showing the trip mechanism as when being operated; Fig. 17, an end elevation of a pair of indicators having modifications adapting them for use in a car having an upper eck or compartment, both indicators being connected together so as to operate simultaneously; Fig. 18, a perspective view of one of the operating levers for the trip mechanism; and Fig. 19, a perspective view of the movable detent for the trip lever.

Similar reference characters in the various figures of the drawings designate correspond in elements or features of construction.

11 the drawings a designates the forward end of the car or conveyance against the interior of which, on the upper portion of the forward part, the indicator is mounted so as to face towards the rear end of the car; b idesignatcs the back, c and c' the ends, (1 the front having a sight-opening c therein, and f and f top and bottom doors respectively of the casing hinged to the back I). A ortion of the rent (I is preferably presse inwardly as at (1 so as to be close to the nameribbon, and the sight-opening c is in this setin portion, the exterior of the front being convex rather for the sake of symmetry but of course not necessarily so, as will become apparent.

The principal parts of the internal mechanism are mounted directly on the ends 0 and c of the case of the indicator.

Ahous-v mg for the motor comprises two similar parts :1, and g, the part 9 beirn secured to the inner side of the endc, and a caring plate 9 is secured to the inner side of the end 0'. A relatively large controlling drum It extends substantially from the housing to the bearing plate g and has a supporting shaft h journaled in the housing and extending through the end c, and also journaled in the plate 5 the drum being provided near its ends with guide flanges i and i, and also with a suitable number of pointed projections and 7' near the flanges. The plate 9 has a journal bearing is to receive the shaft of the drum and of course the housing also has similar bearings for the shaft. On the outer end of the shaft h, a disk Z having spaced notches Z is secured thereto for positively stopping and holding the drum periodically in order to hold the name-ribbon on the drum with a station name fair with the sight-opening e. The drum h, as will be seen, is arranged in the forward portion of the indicator case so that its forward part will be close as may be to the sight-opening e.

ltearward of the controlling drum h a rair of winding drums are mounted for holding the end portions of the ribbon and winding the ribbon from either one to the other one of the rolls, a roller 112 having a shaft m, being mounted in the lower )ortron of the casing in the housing and the p ate g, the shaft being provided with a long-toothed pinion n in the easing, the plate 9' having a journal bearing 0 to receive the journal of the shaft, the housing obviously having also suitable bearings for the shaft. A roller 1) is mounted in the upper portion of the case and has a journal p at one end thereof mounted in a slotted bearing q in the plate g, so that the journal may be readily lifted from its bearing, the other end of the roller having a socket r in its end to receive a squared end r of a short shaft 8 that is suitably journaled in the housing and provided with a long-toothed pinion tso that the roller p may be readily removed from the case without removing its driving shaft 3.

The name-ribbon u may be of any suitable length and is of suitable width to extend from one to the other one of the guide flanges 11 and i of the controlling drum, and the ends of the ribbon may be suitably connected in any preferred manner to the winding rollers m and p, with the ribbon extending about the forward portion of the drum, the arrange- ,ment being such that the ribbon will lead over the tops of the winding rollers when being wound thereon.

The ribbon is preferably composed of canvas, and on one face thereof thestreetor station names "v are arranged in any suitable manner, preferably by painting or printing the names thereon. The casing sup )orts spring arms Ar and 2r in the ends of which are mounted grooved rollers 12; and 2:, arranged so as to roll against the ribbon and hold it close to the drnrn m the upper and lower ortions of the case the grooves of the ro [era The ri bclearing the projections and bon is provided with eyel ets 3 to receive the project-ions and j, the eyelets being spaced along the edge p-z 'tions of the ribbon at suitable distances a eart, corresponding to the spacing ofthe names on the ribbon.

A pivot 20 is s j rported by the parts {1 andv g of the llOLItaLE and a swinging motor frame 21 is motr; cd on the pivot, the frame havin an arm suitable opening in the end c of the case and provided with a. Eat-ch 23 adapted to engage a notched latch-plate 24 that rs secured to the outerside of the send a, so that the swinging frame may be he-h'l at either one of two positions. A main motor shaft 2 is mounted r0- tativel in the swinging frame and extends throng 1 suitableiopenin'gs in the part g and end 0, and is provided at the outer end'threeof with a lever 25 t e-r winding a helical spring 26 secured to the shaft and also to the pivot 20, there being a gezar wheel 27 rot-ative on the shaft .2, and a ratchet; wheel 28 secured to the shaft, a pawl i being mounted on the wheel 27 in engagemenl with the ratchet wheel. A counter-shaft 3 1" is onrnaled in the swing frame 21 and has .a pinion 31 secured thereto in engagement with the gear wheel 27, and a long toothed gear n heel 32 is also secured to the shaft 30 su :as to be movable by the.

swinging frame into contact with either the pinion n or the pinion t, so that the motor ma rotate either the roller m or the roller P. The long teeth shown more )articularly' m Fig. 5) are provided in order that in shiftin the frame 21 the wheel 32 may enga e one of the pinions, bet? it separates from the o posite pinion in or r to prevent the motor rom racing during {1L6 reversing operations; It, will be apparenn that the motor may cause the name-ribbon an be wound upon either one of the winding t:-'ollers while being unwound from the opposite roller, the ribbon while in motion causing tire drunr h to rotate.

A dog 33 is mu ant-ed on the exterior of the end c of the case by means of a ivot 34, the dog being adapt. d to dro into t re notches l of the disk I to p" 'iodicaily hold the drum h with a name o posite the sight-o )ening e, and at the sa time stopping the motor mechanism bye; :ans of the name-ribbon. A movable stop 30 is pivoted adjacent to the dog 33 and may The turned into position so as to prevent the dog from dropping into the notches l, the ti t-g being spring pressed towards the disk I A tri lever 36 is mounted on the end 0 by walls of a pivot 37 and has a detent 3S matured thereon that is adapted to lift the dog "rom contact with the disk I, the lever being provided with a spring 39, normally pre g the detent against a stop -10 with which The that extends through a' same time, and a time. front (t, and a pn l cord 49 is connected to the end 0 is rovided with a. stop 41 to be engaged by the ever 36 after the dog 33 has been drawn out of contact with the disk I, there being a spring -12 provided for drawing the lever away from the stop so that the detent 38 may again come into operative position under the dog 33.

'hen it is desired to place an indicator in the upper deck of a conveyance as at a the lever 36 is provided with an arm 43, and the upper indicator is provided with a lever 36 somewhat similar to the lever 36 and provided with an arm -13, the latter being connected with a rod or link 44 that is connected to the arm 43; also a rod 45 is connected to the arm 22 and also to an arm 22* similar to the arm 22 with which the 1:per-indicatm' is provided. A sprocket whee 46 is secured to the shaft 2 of the lower or main indicator and the sprocket wheel 46 is secured to the shaft 2 of the upper imlicator,"there being a sprocket chain 47 connecting the two sprocket wheels so that both motor springs may be wound simultaneously and also both indicators may be tri mod for operation at the lso be reversed at the same A guide ulley 48 is mounted on the lever 36 and runs over the pulley to any suitablcpoint, within convenient reach of the cdnductor or other person designated to attend to the operation of the indicator or indicatorsmv For convenience in inserting or rei'noving the name-ribbon for use, it is designed that each ribbon may be ordinarily kept at headquarters on a roller p, so as to be kept in good condition and to be readily inserted into a register case, and in order to render the ribbon easily removable from the roller and also from the roller m, or for connection to the roller m, the rollers are each provided with a longitudinal groove 50, and the ends of the ribbon have inetallicbindings u insertible into the grooves, whereby the ribbons may be quickly connected or disconnected from the rollers.

\Yhile I have shown a spring actuated motor as a matter of convenience, I do not wish to be limited to such a motor, being aware that in the operation of electric cars I may adapt the motor so as to be operated by other suitable means.

In practical use when starting a car on its route the name of the next street or station at which the car will arrive is to be displayed, and then after pas ing the next station the conductor or attendant should pull the cord 49 so as to move the lever 36 against the stop 41, such movement causing the detent 38 to lift the dog 33 to permit the motor to operate and cause the disk I to begin its movement, the dog 33 being immediately drop ed into contact with the disk so that it will t rop into the next notch 1' as the disk rotates, thus stopping the name-ribbon for displayin the next station. The return movement 0 the lever 36 will not interfere with the movement of the dog since the detent 38 will yield and slide against the dog until the point of the detent arrives between the dog name-ribbon before beginning a trip, the dog.

33 may be drawn out of contact with the disk I, and if desi ed may be held by the stop 35, and the motor may be permitted to roll the ribbon the necessary distance onto either the roller m or the roller p to properly position the name of the first station or street that is to be approached. Other operations of the apparatus will be fully understood from the foregoing description of the construction thereof.

Havim thus described the invention, what is claime as new is-- 1 e 1. A plurality of station ndicators, one arranged m a higher plane than the other, each indicator having a pair of winding rollers and a controlling drum, a name-ribbon for each indicator to be wound over the drum onto either oncof the rollers, swinging motor frames connected together, one for each indicator, motors mounted in the frames for o crating the rollers, stop devices for the ri bons, tri devices for actuating the stop devices ant. connected one to the other, there being a trip device for each stop device, connections between the drum and the ribbon of each indicator, and connections between the motors ot' the plurality of indicators.

2. In a station indicator, the combination of a case, a reaative shaft mounted in the case and extending through the wall thereof, a drum attached to the shat t, a name-ribbon on the drum, a roller to move the name-ribbon and the drum, a notched disk secured to the shaft at the outer side of the case, a dog pivoted on the exterior of the case and normally entering a notch of the disk, a trip lever pivoted on the case adjacent to the dog, a"

s ring norniali pressing the lever towards the dog, a detent mounted movably on the trip lever op osite to the dog to lift the dog from the dis and a spring mounted on the trip lever in engagement with the detent and normally pres ing the detent into operative engagement \Viiil the dog.

In testimony whereoflI altix my signature in presence of two witnesse BURR R. SKINNER.

'itnesses: RAY. CHA'FFEE,

J. .\L Rm'xonns. 

